Many moisture-containing food products such as meats are susceptible to oxidative flavor deterioration and microbial growth during storage, especially when the food is not frozen. Additives are often incorporated into the food or coated on the surface of the food to inhibit microbial growth and thus to enhance shelf life.
Lactic acid, because of its safety as an additive to food, is a material which has frequently been suggested as an agent to inhibit microbial growth. To this end lactic acid has been found to be effective to inhibit microbial growth on meat, including processed and low-fat meat products, poultry and seafood products. More particularly, lactic acid and salts thereof have been found to have substantial effect in inhibiting the growth of E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Penicillin expansum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Staphylococcus aureus.
Though lactic acid and its derivatives have been extensively evaluated as antibacterial agents, their use has not heretofore been widespread. In part, this is because of the lack of a reliable and economical delivery system by which the lactic acid can be applied without the addition of substantial costs to the contained products.